THE ART OF FLYING isn’t simply an exhibition. Born from an oral history project collecting untold stories of commercial fly-posters active across the UK circa 1973-93, TAOF dives headfirst into the renegade spirit of an urban subculture that lived – and still lives – just outside the lines.

We’ve collected twelve vivid first-hand accounts, an initial six of which have been turned into booklets for this ongoing venture. The stories reveal how individuals stepped into the role and their experiences of many years ‘on the brush’: a life and livelihood about which very little is widely known.

Thematic introductions to the fly-posters’ testimonies further survey the many lenses through which we might know a city: protest, music, mobility, law and the practicalities of doing a job that’s remained gloriously low-tech and defiantly persistent for over 150 years.